In order from 5th to 1st.....
Matt Wieters (waiversharks.com)
Well, how does that saying go,"wait till next year"? Bold statement considering I may have more eyes on this part of the column than you might think. I am friends with several Oriole fans, which puts me in a bind not to make fun of them completely. The team that once had players like Ripken, Murray, Mussina, and Robinson (Brooks and Frank) grace the Charm City now have mostly new faces in a rebuilding process that has been going on since the Clinton administration. But things seem to be turning the corner on West Camden Street (Reminder, insert some good stuff after this sentence). Umm...anyway. Oriole GM Andy MacPhail has created a nucleus, sealing up solid fan-favorites like Roberts and Markakis to multi-year deals. In addition, MacPhail has retooled with younger players like Adam Jones, a piece acquired in the Bedard trade, who should have a breakout year this season. But what makes the O's most excited is the products from their ever-developing farm system. Catching prospect Matt Wieters has been considered the "ultimate piece of sliced bread" of this year's prospects. To go along with Wieters, they also carry along pitching prospects like Brian Mastusz, Jake Arrieta, and Chris Tillman, whom the organization hopes become household names before too long. The problems with the Orioles don't exist in their offense. Being led off by the supreme catalyst in Roberts, this team should have no problem scoring runs, especially with sluggers like Markakis, Mora, and Huff hitting behind him. Roberts will also do well because he is one of the core members of my paid-league fantasy team (5th pick = high expectations from Chucky). Unfortunately, their current pitching staff (Guthrie, Uehara, Simon, Eaton, Hendrickson) provoke as much fear to AL sluggers as anyone who played the Detroit Lions last football season. Don't even get me started with the bullpen. O.K, I'm getting started. How is Danys Baez still maintaining a major league career? Maybe the same reason that Keith Richards is still alive, or the same reason how the Arizona Cardinals almost won the Super Bowl, but I digress. However, if everything goes well enough this season, they may not be cellar dwellers this year (see excerpt on next team).
Prediction: 72-90 (5th)
Key Player To Step Up: Nick Markakis
Alex Rios (cbc.ca)
Just when you think our neighbors..ehemmm....neighbours from the North have escaped their days of mediocrity, gravity seems to center them. And just to think they focus on the right things that make good teams. In '08, the Jays had the best starter ERA (3.72) and the best reliever ERA (2.94) in the league last season. The always stellar Roy Halladay posted a 20 win season while Jesse Litsch, Shawn Marcum, and Dustin McGowan proved solid behind him. however, half of that foursome (Marcum, McGowan) are recovering from Tommy John and shoulder surgeries respectively and may not be back till around the trading deadline. As much as I think David Purcey could be a poor man's John Lester, I don't believe the Jays can duplicate last year's feats on the bump. The main woe for the club last year was in the offensive category. Underachievement plus injuries hampered the big bats of Wells and Rios, the sluggers who are supposed to carry the load in the middle of that lineup. Expectations from multi-million dollar contracts add to the pressure for these blue shirt-boppers to come through at the Rog. This year, they are not only depending on the nucleus, but also young studs like Adam Lind and Travis Snider to revitalize their anemic offense. The bottom line remains that there are too many questions in both their rotation and in their lineup to think that they can stay consistent. Nevermind the fact that their closer B.J. Ryan is throwing at a "Back to the Future era" velocity. If they slip too far, they can potentially be new owners of divisional basement space.
Prediction: 78-84 (4th)
Key Player To Step Up: Alex Rios
C.C. Sabathia (swamigp.files.wordpress.com)
You'd have to be living under Gibraltar to not realize that the Yanks have flexed their financial muscle yet again. With C.C, they have a true bona fide ace to head their starting corps. With Mr. Leigh,...mmm....Mark Teixiera (obviously still getting over that transaction), they obtained an automatic .300-30-100 threat with gold-glove caliber moves at the primary bag. I still have my doubts on Burnett, who has only two 30 start seasons in 10 years due to his many appearances on the DL All-Stars. Nick Swisher could be the most interesting of all the acquisitions, who along with Sabathia have become the jesters in a clubhouse that has been categorized as "corporate." But can the new jesters' court help the Bombers overcome heightened expectations in the Bronx to win their long awaited 27th ring? Can they get over the circus that A-Rod* has created from the recent steroid controversy? From what I see, the Yanks no doubt are improved, but I don't think all the money puts them over the hump in '09. At least for 2009, if C.C. wins the 20 he is expected to, it equals the total that the recently departed Mussina obtained in the past campaign, and that Yankee team didn't exactly light the world on fire. They're also questions as to if he can handle the pressure on the big stage, considering his recent playoff debacles. It is unknown how Chien-Mien Wang can recover and return to his previous 19 win form after his foot injury from all things, running the bases. On top of that, the royal triumvirate of Jeter, Posada, and Rivera aren't getting any younger and A-Rod's* hip may still remain an issue even after his return to the lineup in a month. Even if all holds up, the primary concern is their bullpen and whether the combo of Marte, Bruney, Coke (always feel like I have to write a trademark after his name), Albaladejo, & Ramirez can hold up as either the Golden Gate or the London Bridge to Rivera. Call me biased, call me hateful, but unfortunately I see the Pinstripers falling short again this year for October glory, but believe me, they are going to give me and The Nation nightmares for the whole year.
Prediction: 91-71 (3rd)
Key Player To Step Up: C.C. Sabathia (probably could put the whole roster here)
Evan Longoria(blogs.tampabay.com)
It would be an understatement to say that the Rays shocked the sporting world by not only escaping the AL East cellar, but by snagging the division from the two giants in the room, and finally reaching the World Series by beating the defending world champion and rival Boston Red Sox in a classic 7 game ALCS. Admit it, you were counting them out after the Crawford injury, the Percival injury, the LONGORIA injury. But the crazy Rays endured all challenges by playing fundamentally sound, clutch baseball. Led by the quirky intellectual Joe Maddon, these young players shined in a spotlight that they were never supposed to even sniff, nevermind become the big high-rollers. This year, they have most of the cast of characters back from that memorable season, as well as new potential superstars on the brink of busting out. David Price, the lefty who rose to prominence by getting the final outs in the ALCS, is expected to round off an already impressive staff of whiz kids in Kazmir, Shields (oldest at 27!), Garza, and Sonnanstine. Most of their young stars on offense such as Upton and Longoria also haven't reached their primes yet, which makes the Nation and the Empire a bit worried. It doesn't take a Gammons or a Kurkjian to realize that this is a team that is going on an upside together. However, the Rays face a new, more formidable opponent that they have never had the chance to face in their brief history, expectations. Every team will be gunning for them, void of the surprise of their success that swallowed the majors in the '08 campaign. In a league that has seen 7 different champions and 23 different teams enter the playoffs in the current decade show that it's difficult to catch lightning in a bottle twice in this MLB. I also have questions about former Angel great Troy Percival can maintain his arm and hold the back of the bullpen for another year. Bullpen uncertainties may have been the reason the Rays weren't able to make it all the way last year, and may be a legit concern to their success in the present year. The relief corps of Howell, Wheeler, Balfour, and Bradford held down the fort last year, but can they ALL repeat that magic again? Can they avoid another season without the BIG INJURY taking them down? The karmic forces of baseball force me to believe that they will not have similar success this year due to the questions above, however I have them clinching the AL Wild Card, bringing much happiness to St. Pete and the Trop, and the hope for another magical run.
Prediction: 93-69 (2nd, AL WILD CARD)
Key Player To Step Up: B.J. Upton
Jason Bay(redsoxgirl46.mlblogs.com)
Finally, we have arrived to my beloved Red Sox. With the help of the Sox now being Manny-less for the first full season since 2000, much of the circus that has been around Sox spring camps in recent years has evaporated. But there is as much intrigue and questions as there has ever been. First off, everyone wonders how the Sawx will operate without the mercurial Manny in the middle of the lineup. After the failed attempt to nab Mr. Leigh...........MARK Teixeira (I have to stop doing that!!), The Nation questioned whether the Sox brass believes that they have enough offensive clout to stay afloat. David Ortiz came into camp a little leaner and more determined, but that doesn't stop the concerns that injuries the the past few years may be hastening the decline of his career. On top of that, the Nation has uncertainties on whether Mike Lowell will get over a hip injury and become productive again as a bopper and as a gold-glover. On the other side of things, the Yanks have concerns with that A-Rod* guy with a similar problem. Come to think of it, we are one freak-merengue accident away with Longoria, Mora, and Rolen to create the AL East 3B All-Cane/Walker Team (all bets that Rolen is next, maybe add JD Drew to the mix). But enough of being sadistic. They're also questions on whether keeping Captain Varitek around for another go-round will ultimately help the team (still thinking of a .220 average, banging my head). But I remember some old cliche that goes something to the effect of pitching and defense winning championships, and if that's the case, I now know why I'm comfortable with this team. I believe that MVPedroia along with Youkilis will do an efficient job in carrying the offense like they did last year, earning the money they got in the offseason. Along with Bay, I think there are enough OBP guys on this team that will create many run-scoring opportunities. The Sox were still one of the top offenses last year, even without ManRam. But the starting trio of Beckett, Lester, and Matsuzaka is just as good as any in the majors, especially with Beckett having a chip on his shoulder from being lumped in the Burnett DL club by some in the media. And then we move on to "low-risk" offseason moves that could prove beneficial, with veteran John Smoltz possibly rounding out a staff that could go deep in the playoffs. I'm not too sold on Penny yet (sorry for the Penny pun), considering he was called out by a former manager on his lack of dedication (he does have a bit of a beer gut). The last guy that got called out by a former manager while playing in a Red Sox uniform made 30 errors at short, but I hope that's a one time thing. The strength I believe will propel the Sox to a division title is their bullpen. Led by Papelbon, the bullpen corps contains an emerging Masterson, Okajima, Ramirez, Delcarmen and Saito (another "low-risker") who used to close games for the Dodgers. Along with returning every cast member of the best defense in the AL, we have ourselves a formidable team that was possibly one healthy slugger away from going back to the Series. Fingers crossed for the health bit.
Prediction: 95-67 (1st AL EAST)
Key Player To Step Up: Jacoby Ellsbury
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